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The Stomping Land is switching to Unreal Engine 4
Dino-delay or evolutionary upgrade? The situation might be both for The Stomping Land, which has been on the down low while its developer works to bring it to a new game engine after the old engine lost studio support. "It has been quiet in The Stomping Land community but that is certainly not the case behind the scenes!" Developer Alex "Jig" Fundora told Kotaku. "The game is being moved to Unreal Engine 4 to take advantage of technical and creative opportunities, and while the game was so early in development, I didn't want to keep working for years with a game engine (UDK) that had officially lost support by Epic. The move has put a bit of more work on my plate, but the already discovered opportunities using UE4 are exciting, and I'm confident fans will be satisfied with the long-run decision." The dinosaur-themed survival sandbox went into early access this past May 30th.
Sunless Sea Emerald update adds new regions to sail, fear
A few patches of the Unterzee's oceanic void Contributing Editor Mike Suszek approached in our Early Access Sunless Sea review have been properly charted – as in, developer Failbetter Games has actually implemented those areas into the build available via Steam in this week's Emerald update. Players can now explore the Sea of Autumns, the Salt Lions and the Iron Republic, but casting off on a new venture no longer involves a sense of direction earned from previous discoveries. A press release states that Sunless Sea's map now changes "every time you play," so just because you've become acquainted with certain territories doesn't mean their locations will be familiar. The Emerald update improves the sense of direction used by zee-bats and allows players to name their ship. It also boosts Sunless Sea's script beyond 100,000 words, but we'd use far fewer to describe Sunless Sea's unsettling brand of sea life: "gross," "what the hell is that" and "creepy enough to dine at Red Lobster in hopes of consuming its ancestors and preventing its existence" all come to mind. [Image: Failbetter Games]
Clockwork Empires goes Steam Early Access in August
Clockwork Empires, an upcoming steampunk bureaucracy simulator from Dungeons of Dredmor developer Gaslamp Games, will make its Steam Early Access debut on August 15. Previously described here as "a less militant Age of Empires as written by H.P. Lovecraft," Clockwork Empires asks players to rule over a growing group of colonists in a world as rife with overly complicated brass machinery as it is with squamous, unknowable horrors that exist only in shadow. Developer Gaslamp Games claims each citizen will have his or her own motivations, personalities and potentially dangerous secrets that will only complicate the task of ruling your superficially sleepy hamlet. When Clockwork Empires makes its Early Access debut on August 15 it will feature a $30 price tag. If you'd rather not wait for Valve's digital distribution service, you can grab the latest build of Clockwork Empires by visiting the game's website. [Image: Gaslamp Games]
Royal Quest begins early access... for a price
Royal Quest, an MMO "full of magic, technology, and alchemy," opened the doors to its early access test yesterday. While the game promotes itself as being free-to-play, this only applies starting the second week in August. Before then, anyone interested in checking it out needs to purchase one of the DLC packs. Players who hop into the game will be assigned a regional server (out of three available) based on their location. To access the website's comments and forum, players have to level up a character to 5. Royal Quest is being developed by Katauri Interactive (King's Bounty) and is only being offered through Steam for English users. Among other options in the game, players can own pets, eventually move into their own castle, and engage in special PvPvE zones in the game. [Thanks to Dystopiq for the tip!]
God game Maia pulls in $1 million while in Early Access
Maia, a sci-fi colony management sim from developer Simon Roth, has pulled in more than $1 million, and it's not even fully out yet. This figure includes the £140,481 ($225,219) Maia secured on Kickstarter in 2012, plus $11,000 on Indiegogo, pre-sales on Roth's site and Steam Early Access sales, Develop reports. Maia was Greenlit on Steam in August 2013. Roth is using the cash to set up a new development house called Machine Studios. He's hiring developers and may get to work on another, new project once everything is settled. "The real reason I wanted Machine Studios rather than Simon Roth Incorporated is I thought it would be really narcissistic and weird, for one," Roth said. "And also, I didn't want my employees to have to put on their CV, 'I worked at Simon Roth,' when it could be Machine Studios. And so it gives them a better thing to say what they worked for." Maia is $25 on Steam Early Access for PC, Mac and Linux, and it's currently $21.70 on the game's site (purchase includes a Steam key). [Image: Simon Roth]
Breach and Clear follow-up sets a deadline for this fall
Mighty Rabbit Studios announced a follow-up to its tactical military action game Breach and Clear today. Going by the name Breach and Clear: Deadline, the game will arrive on Steam's Early Access service for PC, Mac and Linux this fall for $19.99 (£12.99). Unlike the first game, which began on mobile devices before breaching Steam's walls via Greenlight, publisher Gun Media did not list mobile platforms among Deadline's destinations. Deadline adds to Breach and Clear's warfaring gameplay by introducing real-time strategy elements to the series. Players will boss their squad around with new Command Mode tools, giving orders on-the-fly during battle. The game is set in the "urban expanse of Harbor City," in which players must find the source of a parasitic infection that's causing the city's inhabitants to turn into monsters. They'll also level up their team along the way and complete side quests to earn "rare ammo, weapons and gear." [Image: Gun Media]
NeonXSZ begins descent to Steam August 22
NeonXSZ, the latter three letters of which are pronounced "excesses," will launch on Steam via Early Access on August 22. The game puts players in the cockpit of a ship within cyberspace, joining a war between viruses and machines. While just entering beta, NeonXSZ is "already fully playable for 100-plus hours," according to the single-person developer, Intravenous Software. NeonXSZ features "dozens of ships" complete with more than 850 upgrades, emphasizing treasure-collecting and enemy-blasting gameplay akin to that of classic "6DoF" FPS games like Descent and twitchy shooters such as Quake. The procedurally-generated, open world in NeonXSZ includes "approximately one thousand AI dudes" from four different factions, each at odds with one another. Those enemies drop parts of their hulls, upgrades and weaponry, so loot gathered from players' conquests is not randomized. The alpha version of NeonXSZ arrived on the Desura store in September 2013 for PC, Mac and Linux.
Landmark on sale on Steam
If you want to get in on testing Landmark, you've got to drop some cash first. That's just the way it is. But the good news -- aside from the fact that buying test access also involves owning the game when it launches for real -- is that you can get away with dropping substantially less cash for a little while longer. Landmark is on Steam as an early access title, and it's currently having a sale that shaves 66% off of every founder's pack available right now. Due to the sale, prices range from $6.79 for the lowest tier to $33.99 for the highest. Already bought one of the entry packs? You can also pick up an upgrade for your founder's pack at a similar discount, so if you bought the lowest tier a while back you can upgrade to the top for a cool $27.20. Act fast, though; this sale is only running for a little while longer. [Thanks to Christian for the tip!]
Buy Secret Ponchos on Steam, give another to a friend
Spaghetti western shooter Secret Ponchos is best enjoyed with a friend Lady and the Tramp-style, like a plate of pasta. While you won't need to do any smooching with your bestie, those playing the game on Steam can now show a little love by gifting a copy to one friend. The "Secret Ponchos Double Down" promotion grants all buyers an extra Steam code, providing they pick the game up before August 5. The game arrived on Steam in mid-June via Early Access, and is currently available for $14.99. Whether you buy a copy for yourself or are the recipient of one of the free codes, you'll have access to the full version of the game when it arrives later this year. While there's no set release date for Secret Ponchos, it is expected to launch in full on both PC and PS4 this fall. [Image: Switchblade Monkeys]
Crypt of the NecroDancer boogies on Early Access July 30
Break out the shovels, swords and dance pads; roguelike/rhythm hybrid Crypt of the NecroDancer is zombie-shuffle-dancing its way to Steam Early Access on July 30. It will be available for PC, Mac and Linux. Not everyone will have to wait until the end of the month to practice their dance moves though - developer Brace Yourself Games is also hosting a "NecroThon," a Crypt of the NecroDancer tournament that will benefit charities like Child's Play, Doctors Without Borders and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Participation is by invite-only, but you can still watch and learn more by checking out the event's hub page.
Early Access Review: Sunless Sea
This is an Early Access Review, in which we hope to help you decide whether or not it's worth jumping into a game before it's officially complete. When describing Sunless Sea, you might refer to its text-heavy visual novel elements, or its myriad of RPG-like, story-building choices. It's a top-down seafaring game with simple visuals, in which players set sail across a massive sea deep below the earth's surface. Alongside the straightforward sailing, the battle, dialogue and decision systems are governed by plain menus and text. It's a basic approach that complements the mythical atmosphere, leaving the bulk of Sunless Sea's vivid concepts up to the imagination of the player. The project is far from complete, as over half of the sea's map is empty. There's another kind of emptiness in Sunless Sea, though, as even the accessible regions feel endlessly dark at times. This other emptiness, the pervasive, creeping fear of the unknown as you sail mysterious waters, is what makes Sunless Sea stand out, even at this early stage of development.
ID@Xbox devs would like early access too, please
Xbox developers are requesting the ability to participate in a Steam-style early access initiative, according to Chris Charla, director of the ID@Xbox program. In a recent interview with Develop, Charla said the issue was one he and his team think about "all the time." "It's something developers have been asking for, and we are listening really closely to developers," Charla said. Charla also noted that the conversation extends beyond Xbox. "There's a lot of heavy deep thinkers, experts, PhDs working on these problems at Xbox every day – not just for the Xbox store, but for Windows Store and Windows Phone. Our goal is to have a rational marketplace, where good games are visible and sell well." Early access is something of a new frontier for digital marketplaces, and Microsoft and Xbox aren't the only wagons on the trail; Sony's Adam Boyes recently said that he and his team are "figuring out what's OK" to implement on the PS4. [Image: Microsoft]
Adam Boyes would like to give Early Access to the PS4
Sony Computer Entertainment of America VP of Developer and Publisher Relations Adam Boyes (man that business card must be long) is interested in making an Early Access-style program for PS4 developers, according to a recent interview with Gamasutra. When asked if Sony was considering making a game available while said game was still in development, Boyes responded, "That's one of the massive conversations we have internally; that, at what point does [a game meet standards of release]? We still at some point ensure that we're being mindful of the consumer. We don't want somebody to stumble across that title and expect a full product, and have a negative experience." "We're figuring out what's ok," Boyes added. "We obviously have our tech requirement checklist that people have to adhere to. So we're internally discussing, what does that list look like? What are the caveats? Stuff like this. So it's still a project that a lot of minds are considering. No details yet, but it's something on the top of my mind every day." In other words: no early access for Boyes' vision of early access on PS4. At least for now. [Image: Sony]
Dino-survival: Hands-on with The Stomping Land's early access alpha
Yesterday, I examined up-and-coming dinosaur-survival MMO Beasts of Prey. Today, let's look at another game in the same niche genre: The Stomping Land. The Stomping Land isn't technically billing itself as an MMO, but it boasts a semi-permanent world. But my experience in it was nothing like the trailers shown back in May. The current game is totally different. In fact, it seems to have regressed. There's no customization, there are no berries, and no one I talked to knew how to name a tribe. It feels like a semi-permanent shooter, similar to other survival games except without a lot of the building. You either make a teepee or you don't. You make a bow or you don't. You have a dinosaur mount or... you don't. The biggest servers I saw had 24 people, meaning I was able to avoid other players very often, but the game was more fun when I encountered people -- at least people who didn't one-shot me and waltz away.
Joystiq Discussion: Should consoles have early access games?
The age of early access is upon us! No longer the domain of PCs, the alpha build is becoming a central tenet of the modern game industry, even on consoles. "We have a global strike team, plus an SCEA strike team, who are in charge of trying to figure out how to look at what's happening with early alpha access, or paid betas," explained Adam Boyes, Sony VP of developer relations, in a new interview with Gamasutra. The merits of early access game design are plain. The risk of prolonged game development is mitigated by an influx of consumer cash before the game's even complete. What's more, an audience can be built gradually over time rather than all at once through sheer force of marketing. Early access design is, however, contrary to the spirit of game consoles. The whole point of a game console is ease of use and standardized quality. They are not PCs, variable and in need of constant tweaking, so games should presumably be ready to go as soon as you put it in the disc slot or have it installed. Even in the decade since Xbox 360 brought beta testing, DLC, and content patches to the consoles, that's remained true. Does early access gaming have a place on consoles? Take our poll and discuss in the comments. Should consoles embrace early access game development? [Images: Mojang]
Nosgoth founders program incentives get cheaper July 22
The founders program for Nosgoth is undergoing a few changes, Square Enix announced today. The program, which arrived when the game entered its closed beta phase in late February, includes founders packs that give players bonus in-game items and boosts. Those packs will see adjustments come July 22 in terms of their price and contents. The Veteran-level pack, previously a $20 pack that included 4,000 "rune stones," will now include 1,500 in-game gold and a 30-day "Major All Booster" that ups players' XP and gold production by 50 percent, all for $5 (while still including a Veteran badge and early access to the game). Three of the other founders packs have received similar adjustments, with the Warlord pack dropping from $35 to $13, the Warband pack from $50 to $20 and the most expensive one, the Immortal pack, moving from $150 to $50. The Nosgoth site provides a clear look at the changes between the former founders packs and the new, cheaper ones.
Dino-survival: Hands-on with Beasts of Prey's early access alpha
When I first dived into the horror-survival genre, I knew there would be zombies, but I never expected dinosaurs. You don't get much bigger than a T-Rex stomping around your neighborhood (though I am still waiting for an underwater survival game that randomly has blue whales unintentionally ruining your kelp fort as they hunt for krill). When dinosaurs started to replace zombies, I knew that my inner child would drag me in, even if I once again had to pay for alpha. It's this very idea of "paid alpha" that inspired me to tackle not one but two titles from the newly spawned dino-survival based genre. Apologists will say that it's just alpha, but the reality is that you get only one launch, and to me, launch is you start letting people buy your game and don't hold them under an NDA. With this in mind, I decided to try my hand at both Beasts of Prey and The Stomping Land to see which, if either, feels the most deserving of my time (and money). Today, I'll start with BoP.
Habitat finds life on Steam Early Access
Habitat, the Kickstarted space-physics strategy game from 4gency, is now on Steam Early Access for $15 on PC, Mac and Linux, published by Versus Evil. This is the game that lets you fight with the Eiffel Tower in space. Now we all remember. In Habitat, players must use space debris to repair and build their ships, and to create homes for humanity to live in. You're able to create weapons and take out enemy space stations, and then salvage them for parts. It's a blend of strategy, resource management, creativity and zero-gravity physics simulation. Habitat is in Early Access form at the moment, so it's not yet feature complete, but the game currently allows players to manage their teams, fly around procedurally generated space, build ships and weapons out of 40 different items and connectors, and take on those evil space stations. Habitat raised $64,000 of a $50,000 goal on Kickstarter in May, and it's due out in full on PC, Mac, Linux and Xbox One by the end of 2014. [Image: Versus Evil]
Cannon Brawl opens fire on Mac
Turtle Sandbox Games' Early Access version of Cannon Brawl now allows Mac users to enjoy its competitive blend of Worms-style 2D land domination and real-time strategy elements. Today's added Mac support precedes plans to launch Cannon Brawl's beta tomorrow, as reported by Polygon. Cannon Brawl developer Peter Angstadt told Joystiq the beta is mostly an internal milestone, but its launch does coincide with Cannon Brawl's price rising from $9.99 to $14.99. You're not too late to get a decent deal though – a 40 percent discount from that increase will be offered until June 14, which means you have a week to decide whether to enlist in the action for $8.99. Angstadt explained the increase is due to content added to Cannon Brawl's Early Access version over the past year, with updates including new maps, pilots, building types and the Campaign Nightmare mode. Conquests for land can also transcend operating systems, since cross-platform multiplayer is supported. Cannon Brawl's beta period will last "a month or two," though a release window for a complete base version is still to be announced. [Image: Turtle Sandbox Games]
Eat your crew to stay afloat in Sunless Sea, now on Steam
Failbetter Games' dark, top-down nautical exploration and survival game Sunless Sea is now available on Steam Early Access. To celebrate its arrival, the developer is discounting the game by 10 percent ($17.09) until Tuesday, July 8. Sunless Sea, which first arrived in alpha form in mid-June on the Humble store, has players exploring an underground ocean in which every decision made impacts a "non-linear, choice-heavy, personalized experience." In order to survive, captains will need to fight large creatures and make tough decisions, such as eating their dead. The game is set in the same universe as one of the developer's previous game, Fallen London, and draws influences from games like FTL: Faster Than Light, Sid Meier's Pirates and Don't Starve. Sunless Sea earned £100,803 ($161,769) on Kickstarter in October 2013, and uses Failbetter's own narrative-focused StoryNexus engine (which it also used for Fallen London). Random House put the engine to use in April 2013 with the free-to-play Black Crown. [Image: Failbetter Games]
